Fire extinguishing foam system with deluge valve control



Nov. 20, 1951 H. N. RIDER FIRE EXTINGUISHING FOAM SYSTEM WITH DELUGE VALVE CONTROL Filed March 18 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l lllillllll vllllllvx v INVENTO R. flaw y /l 1 /0? W III ' nrrale xvls'x Nov. 20, 1951 RlDER 1 O 2,575,468

FIRE EXTINGUISHING FOAM SYSTEM 7 WITH DELUGE VALVE CONTROL Filed March 18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 "rm-p5.

Nov. 20, 1951 RIDER 2,575,468

FIRE EXTINGUISHING FOAM SYSTEM 1 WITH DELUGE VALVE CONTROL Filed March 18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TO R. fia/"r A/ F/ aer".

A 7' TOIFA/EK Patented Nov. 20, 1951 FIRE EXTINGUISHING FOAM SYSTEM WITH DELUGE VALVE CONTROL Harry N. Rider, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to Automatic Sprinkler Corporation of America Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application March 18, 1950, Serial No. 150,477

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a fire extinguishing System and more particularly to such a system wherein water is mixed with a foam liquid concentrate to generate foam and the same directed into a protected area.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a fire extinguishing foam system with a deluge valve control and capable of automatic actuation and shut-off.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an automatically actuated fire extinguishing foam system incorporating means for shutting oif the operation of the system at such time as the foam liquid supply is exhausted.

- A still further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and economical fire extinguishing foam system incorporating a simple automatically actuated deluge valve and exhaust heat responsive control means for automatically detecting a fire in a controlled location, mixing and delivering fire extinguishing foam to the said location and shutting off such operation at such time as the available supply of foam generating liquid is exhausted.

The fire extinguishing foam system with deluge valve control shown and described herein has been designed to provide a simple and eflicient fire extinguishing apparatus particularly suited for application to various hazardous areas wherein inflammable materials are processed or used in processing other materials. The system disclosed herein-utilizes a water supply as the principal fire extinguishing medium and mixes with the water supply a foam liquid concentrate such as known in the art to form a suitable fire extinguishing foam such as also known in the art. The foam is then directed onto the surface of the area protected.

The principal point of novelty in the disclosure is the deluge valve controlling the water supply to the foam liquid generator and distributor andthe control of the deluge valve by an automatically operated device subject in operation to abnormal temperatures in the fire zone and capable of being controlled by suitable actuating means in the foam liquid supply source whereby the system will be shut down when the foam liquid supply is exhausted.

With th foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be (Classv 169- 2 made within the scope of what is. claimed with-- u departing m t e pi o t e n ntion- Th vent on s i u ated n the ccompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l'is a side elevation of the fire extinsh oam S st m, h elu v e an ic Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line. 2+2 of Figure 1.

Fi r 3 s an nlar ed os se on elevaw n a en n in 30 Fi re Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional eleyae tion taken on line 4f4'of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5:55 f F ure Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-6 of Figure l.

By referring to the. drawings and Figures l. and? in particular it will be seen that a foam system has been illustrated in connection with a dip tanh I 0 comprising th flammable area to be controlled and that the system itself in: cludes a water supply source. II. The dip tanl; I0 is provided with a foam distributor I 3 located on one side thereof and the deluge valve I2 communicates with the foam distributor by way of a pipe I I which includes a mixer I5. The mixer I5 is also in communication with a foam liquid supply tank I6 by way of a tube H, th mixer I5 be ng adapted to pull foam liquid concentrate from the tank l6 as by Venturi action in the mixer I5 when water from the supply source II flows through the valve I2 and thus through the mixer I5 and into the foam distributor I3.

The deluge valve I2 is controlled by a release mechanism enerally indicated by t e u era I 8 and the release is subject to the remote operation as by a heat actuated device I9. The heat actuated device I9 is placed in communication with the release I8 by means of a tubular connecting member 20. 'The release mechanism I8 is so arranged that to be operative, water from the supply source II, by-passed through the appropriate elements of the deluge valve I2, is allowed to flow through a valve portion 18A of the release mechanism and outwardly thereof through an exhaust pipe 2|. A float control valve 22 located in the foam liquid supply tank Ifi'heretofore referred to and including a float 23 movable by the float level in the foam liquid supply tank I6 controls the exhaust pipe {I which also communicates with a drain, not shown.

In operation, fire occurring in the dip tanl; III, for example, actu'ates the heat actuated device I9 which in turn causes actuation of the release I8. The release I8 opens a valve in the section IBA thereof, permits water from the supply source II to by-pass the actuating elements of the deluge valve I2 and thereby effect the opening of the clapper therein. The water causing such actuation flows through the exhaust pipe 2| and through the normally open valve 22 in the foam liquid supply tank I5 and thence to drain.

The water released by the deluge valve I2 flows through the pipe I4, the mixer I5 and into the foam distributor I3 on the tank l0. Simultaneously with such action, foam liquid is drawn into the mixer I5 through the tube IT by a Venturi action in the mixer I5 so that the liquid entering the foam distributor i3 is properly proportioned and a suitable fire extinguishing foam is thus distributed from the distributor I3 over the surface of the dip tank [0, as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The fire in the dip tank I is thus extinguished.

The foam liquid supply tank I6 is of a predetermined size or capacity to control the indicated hazard such as the dip tank 10 and the system is so designed that upon the exhaustion of the foam liquid supply from the tank l6, as by the operation just described, the float 23 will move downwardly and close the float control valve 22 and thereby shut off the flow of water through the exhaust pipe 2l Such action immediately results in the closing of the deluge valve I2 and hence the automatic shut off of the automatic foam generating system. While the foregoing. comprises a general description of the apparatus of the fireextinguishing foam system and its operation, the following relates to a description of the deluge valve I2 and the actuating release l8 and the mixer I which devices are essential to the'operation of the system and which devices, and particularly the deluge valve l2, are new in the art of fire extinguishing systems of the foam generating and distributing type. 7

As heretofore referred to in connection with Figure 1 of the drawings, the water supply source II is controlled by a deluge valve generally indicated by the numeral I2. By referring to Figure 3 of the drawings an enlarged cross sectional detail of the deluge valve I2 may be seen.

By referring thereto it will be observed that it includes an inlet orifice 24 into which the water supply II is delivered. A vertically movable clapper 25 is positioned for registry with the inlet 24 and is normally closed with respect thereto. The inlet 24 includes a releasable seat ring 26 and the clapper 25 includes radially spaced guide members 21 insuring alignment and proper setting of the clapper 25 on the seat ring 26. The clapper 25 includes a facing 28 of suitable material and the clapper 25 has a vertical passageway 29 therethrough. A flexible tube 29A is positioned in the passageway 29 and extends upwardly through a hollow stem 30 which is loosely secured to the uppermost portion of the clapper 25 by a threaded retaining ring 3| The hollow stem 30 extends upwardly asubstantial distance above the clapper 25 and the flexible tube 29 extends upwardly therethrough to establish a flexible connection with a disc 32 which is positioned flexible diaphragm 33 the area of which is greater than the area of the clapper 25. The disc 32 is secured to the diaphragm 33 as an upward extension 34 of the disc passes through an opening in the diaphragm 33 and is provided immediately beneath a F with a retaining ring 35 and a nut 36. The upward extension 34 of the disc 32 has a restricted passageway 31 therein establishing communication with a chamber 38 above the said diaphragm 33 and in the valve body I2A. Communication is thus established from the inlet 24 through the clapper 25, the flexible connection 29A in the hollow stem 30 and the passageway 31 with the chamber 38. The valve body 125. is circular and secured at its periphery to a simi lar valve body I2B which in turn is threadably mounted on the uppermost portion of the valve I2 heretofore referred to and which encloses the clapper 25.

The valve body I2 has an outlet orifice 3!! by means of which communication is estab-' lished with the pipe I4 heretofore referred to. The valve body I2A has a chamber 40 extending upwardly therein and which chamber 49 communicates with the valve portion 3A of the release mechanism l8 as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings and more specifically in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.

Still referring to Figure 3 of the drawings it will be seen that a coil spring 4| is positioned about the hollow stem 38 of the clapper and in a chamber 42 in the valve body IZB, the lower portion of the coil spring resting on a shoulder of the valve body I20 and the upper portion of the coil spring 4| engaging the bottom of the disc 32 which is thereby urged upwardly'by the spring 4|.

In operation, water from the supply Ii flows through the inlet 24 upwardly through the passageway 2S and the clapper 25 and upwardly through the hollow stem and into the chamber 38 within the valve body I2A. The water pressure flexes the diaphragm 33 downwardly, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, which action moves the disc 32 and the hollow stem and the clapper 25 downwardly so that the clapper 25 seats on the seat ring 25 and thus closes the inlet orifice 24'. The valve. I2 is thus maintained in closed position by water pressure from the supply H. The chamber and its passageway to the valve portion [8A of the re-,

lease mechanism is ordinarily closed by the valve I3A of the release mechanism I8, which action permits the building up of sufficient pressure in the chamber 38 to effect the action just described.

In order that the apparatus controlling the flow of water through the chamber 40 and the valve portion l8A of the release mechanism l8 may be understood, the same is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings and by referring thereto it will be seen that the release [8 comprises a device responsive in operation to pneumatic pressure generated in the fire zone for opening a valve, generally indicated by the numeral IBA and formed in the lower portion of the release I8. The valve I8A is best illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings where it'will be seen in communication with the upper portion of the valve body I2B and the chamber heretofore referred to in connection with the preceding description thereof.

The valve portion I8A includes an inlet 42 and an outlet 43, the inlet 42 threadably receiving the uppermost portion of the valve body I23 and the outlet 43 threadably receiving the exhaust pipe 2| heretofore referred to. A valve. element 44 is reciprocally positioned in a valve chamber 45 and is normally urged to closed position on the inlet 43 by a coil spring 46. The

coil :spring 46 is engaged against the lower end of the vertical lever 41 which extends upward- Ely out of the chamber 44 and into the release :mechanism F8 and is sealed with respect :to

the valve portion |8A by suitable resilient gaskets 48 and 49. The vertical lever 41 :is pivoted at a point 55 so that tilting movement imparted the lever 41 will open or close the valve element 44 with respect to the outlet orifice 43. A coil spring 5| normally urges the valve lever 41 to open position with respect to the valve element 44 and the lever 41 is restrained against such movement by a tiltable latch 52 which is engaged against one side of the tapered upper end 'of the lever 41 as best shown in Figure 5 of the drawings.

The tiltable latch 52 is pivoted by a pivot pin 53 to 'a supporting bracket 54 forming an extension on a diaphragm case 55, as best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, and the tilting latch 52 is normally held in engagement with the lever 4'! by a movable detent 56 which in turn is pivoted as at 51 to projections on the diaphragm case 55 and the opposite end of the detent 56 is positioned adjacent a pin 58 which in turn is actuated by a diaphragm (not shown) in the diaphragm case 55. A spring 59 normally holds the detent 56 in vertical position, as best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, and the device is operative at such time as increased air pressure in the case 55, as occasioned by increased air pressure in a connected heat actuated device such as shown in Figure l and indicated by the numeral l9, moves the diaphragm in the case against the pin 58 so as to move the detent 56 out from in under the tiltable lever 52 and thereby permit it to release the lever 41 which will then open the valve element 44.

The heat actuated device I9 is placed in communication with the diaphragm case 55 by way of the communicating tube 20, a portion of which is cut away, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, in order that the remainder of the mechanism may be seen. The release mechanism includes a 1 reset pin 60, the innermost end of which may be engaged against the lever 4! to move the same to reset position, as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, and the outermost end of the pin 60 extends outwardly through an apertured plate pneumatic impulse or increase of pressure conveyed to the case by the tubing 20 will move the diaphragm (not shown) against the pin 58 which in turn moves the detent 56 from in under the tiltable latch 52 and thus frees the lever 41 which is then moved by the spring 5| to move the valve element 44 to open position with respect to the outlet 43. When this occurs, fluid pressure in the chamber 38 of the valve body |2A is exhausted through the exhaust pipe 2| more rapidly than it can be replaced through the restricted passageway 31, which action permits the spring 4| to elevate the disc 32 and hence the clapper 25 and thus permit water to flow freely from the supply source through the valve l2 and through the pipe I4 to the mixer I5 and the distributor |'3 on the dip tank I0.

- By referring again to Figure l of the drawings it will be observed that when such action occurs. the mixer I5 actuatcs to draw foam liquid concentratethrqugh the tube T from the foam liquid tank I6. This is occasioned by the existence in the mixer l5 of a venturi 63 as may be seen by refer-ring to Figure 6 of the drawings. The mixing of the foam liquid concentrate introduced by the venturi 53 into the pipe l4 results in the eneration of suitable fire extinguishing foam which is then introduced into the distributor I3 trom whence it is, discharged into the dip tank 10 as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

Still referring to Figure 1 of the drawings it will be seen that the exhaust pipe 2| extends through a portion of the foam liquid supply tank It and that it is controlled by a float operated valve .22 as heretofore referred to. The float operated valve includes the float 2.3 responsive to the level of liquid in the tank 16 and the exhaust pipe 2| extends from the float control valve 22 to a drain or other point of disposal.

During the operation of the system hereinbefore described, water flowing upwardly through the hollow stem 3! of the valve l2, into the chamber 38 and through the chamber 40 in the valve body |2A continues to flow through the open valve portion |8A of the release mechanism It and through the exhaust pipe 2| and through the Heat control valve 22 to a point of discharge. This action maintains the valve |2 in open position so that the water flows freely from the supply H to the pipe l4.

At such time as the supply of foam liquid in the tank 15 is exhausted the float 23 will move downwardly until it reaches its lowermost position where it will close the valve 22 and stop the flow of water through the pipe 2|. This will immediately result in the building up of pressure in the exhaust pipe 2|, the valve |8A of the release mechanism l8 and more importantly in the chamber 38 in the valve body IZA. Such building up of pressure therein flexes the diaphragm =33 downwardly and moves the hollow stem 30 downwardly which in turn moves the clapper 25 downwardly to close the inlet orifice 24 of the valve -|-2 and thus shutting off the source II and preventing further flow of water.

Thus the fire extinguishing foam system with deluge valve control disclosed herein is entirely -'automatic in its operation as such operation is initiated by fire in the area supervised, as heretofore explained in connection with the heat actuated device -|9 and the release l8 which is responsive thereto and at such time as the foam liquid concentrate is exhausted from the tank 16 the system automatically shuts off and prevents further flooding of the controlled area. In cases :of dip tanks normally holding inflammable liquid, this is a valuable and novel action as a. predetermi-ned amount of foam liquid can be supplied the tank I6 and which amount is suificient only to generate enough foam to cover the dip tank v in combination an automatic pressure responsive deluge valve in communication with a water supply source and distributing piping, a mixer in said distributing piping for introducing foam liquid thereinto; and a foam liquid supply in communication with said mixer, a release mechanism controlling said deluge valve and including a control valve in pressure venting communication with said pressure responsive deluge valve, thermostats in a fire zone, said release mechanism responsive in operation to said thermostats, the said deluge valve responsive in opening operation to the opening of said control valve, a float operated valve in communication with said control valve and responsive in operation to the presence and absence of said foam liquid supply, said deluge valve responsive in closing operation to the closing of said control valve and to the'closing of said float operated valve whereby the float operated valve will close and the system will shut off when the foam liquid supply is exhausted.

2. A fire extinguishing foam system comprising in combination a deluge valve in communication with a water supply source and distributing piping, said deluge valve including a clapper normally closed by fluid pressure from said water supply source and means urging the said clapper to open position responsive in operation to loss of said fluid pressure, a mixer in said distributing piping for introducing foam liquid thereinto; and

cation with said control valve and responsive in operation to the liquid level of said foam liquid supply, said deluge valve responsive in closing operation to said liquid level responsive valve whereby the liquid level responsive valve will close and said system will shut off when the foam liquid supply is exhausted.

3. A fire extinguishing foam system including a deluge valve in communication with a water supply source and distributing piping, said deluge valve including a clapper normally closed with respect to said water supply source, a fluid pressure chamber, a flexible wall in said chamber and means connecting said flexible wall and said clapper and means establishing restricted communication between said water supply source and said fluid pressure chamber, spring means normally urging the said clapper toward open position and a valve for venting fluid pressure from said fluid pressure chamber to permit the said spring means to open said clapper, a float operated valve in communication with said valve, a

mixer in said distributing piping for introducing foam liquid thereinto and a foam liquid supply in communication with said mixer, said-float valve responsive in operation to the level of the said foam liquid supply.

4. An automatic foam generating fire extinguishing system including an automatic valve in communication with a water supply source, a foam liquid supply, a foam mixer and a foam distributor, means establishing communication bemechanism, said release mechanism responsive in operation to said thermostat whereby the system is responsive in starting operation to fire in the fire zone and responsive in ceasing opera ,tion to the exhaustion of said foam liquid supply.

5. A fire extinguishing foam generating system comprising an automatic pressure actuated valve, a water supply source controlled by said automatic valve and a foam mixer in communication with said automatic valve and with a foam distributor, a container for a foam liquid supply,

a float operated valve, said float being in said container, said float operated valve responsive in operation to movement of said float in said foam liquid supply, and means establishing communication between said foam container and said mixer, the said mixer including a venturi acting to move foam liquid from the said container when the said mixer is in open communication with the said water supply, release means for said automatic valve, a thermostat in a fire zone connected to said release means, said release means responsive in operation thereto, and means interconnecting said float operated valve with said release means, said automatic valve responsive. in closing to said float operated valve whereby the withdrawal of foam liquidfrom the said container actuates said float operated valve and closes said automatic valve.

HARRY N. RIDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record-in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Schwepcke May 23, 1933 Number 

